David Hasselhoff on Acid makes the type of music you might expect from a band called David Hasselhoff on Acid: a cataclysmic, tantalizing musical mindmeld of hardcore, funk, and progressive instrumental rock. After nearly 10 years as a band—releasing 2 full-length albums, playing Wakarusa, opening for a number of known touring acts—the four-piece is taking a break.

“The future is uncertain, but we still plan on writing music,” says guitarist Phil Wolf, who founded the band with bassist Erich Thomas in 2006. The band solidified its lineup long ago, with drummer Zach Legler 7 years ago and guitarist Brandon Bamesberger 5 years ago. With Legler’s recent move to Los Angeles, the band has decided to only play live when he is in town. Tomorrow, DHOA will play its final gig for the foreseeable future, alongside a hefty lineup that includes At the Left Hand of God, Jorge Arana Trio, Janet the Planet, and Odd Fox. The band promises an unforgettable show for old fans and new; Wolf mentions that DHOA will play songs it hasn’t played in years and have an impressive light show to boot.

“DHOA is special because anything goes,” says Wolf. “Nothing is too weird—actually, the weirder, the better. We welcome all genres but still make sure it sounds like DHOA.”

<a href="http://dhoa.bandcamp.com/album/eudaimonia">Eudaimonia by David Hasselhoff On Acid</a>

--Michelle Bacon

Saturday’s show will be your last chance to catch David Hasselhoff on Acid for quite awhile, so don’t miss it. The Riot Room show starts at 8:00 p.m. Facebook event page.

The name David Hasselhoff on Acid grabs you. Unless you are from Germany, where he’s considered a rock god, David Hasselhoff is the dude that ran down the beach to judge “talented” people while sitting in his talking car drunkenly eating a cheeseburger off the floor mats. Wait, I got some shows mixed up there. Oh well.

The latest from the KC band David Hasselhoff on Acid Eudaimonia is a trip—a rapid-fire jazz-rock fire fight, blasting out of the blocks with “Breakfast,” a jam that must be of supernatural origin. It comes on like something The Sword would do if they spent quality hang time with Frank Zappa and Yes while expanding their imaginations to impressive heights.

Therein lies the rub. I sit listening, eating a burnt English muffin, lounging in flannel pants, needing desperately to shave. I love this record. What has happened to me? Historically, I am not a fan of long, self-important, drawn-out, seemingly improvised jams. I hate Phish, The Dead was overrated, I detest Widespread Panic, and Dave Matthews is the Antichrist.

I grew up listening to punk rock where if you could not get it done in three minutes or less, do not play it. On occasion, if the mood struck me, I would indulge a bit in progressive rock, but those times were as rare as seeing Bigfoot at a keg party.

However, DHOA has struck me differently; there is method to the madness, melody in the chaos—not just “look-what-I-can-do!” wankery. There is beauty lying in the eye of the storm.

“Tiny Bubbles” is an 8 minute, 8 second extravaganza that plays like a threesome between Primus, Metallica, and Carlos Santana. It just should not work in this or any other universe, but it does. However, it does push the limits of my ADD, so if you have similar issues, double up on the Adderall before pushing play.

“Someone Just Caught a Unicorn” is just plain cool. An interstellar trip on par with ‘70s tripout artists Captain Beyond, this is one of the most spaced-out tracks on Eudaimonia—Adrian Belew and Syd Barrett would be so very proud. Although, at over thirteen minutes, even the most dedicated Dungeons & Dragons player would reach their limit. Immediately following is “Noodly Appendages,” the 3:36 jam with Zach Legler doing his best Gene Krupa/Buddy Rich drum fill attack, bassist Erich Thomas blowing the funk out and guitarists Phil Wolf and Brandon Bamesberger alternating between subtlety and rocket blasts. This is a real gem among gems.

The closer “Sheep Led By Wolves Owned by Pigs” is straight-up weird; at times, creepy. DHOA is clearly the Mothership for some of the best musicians I’ve ever heard. Ever. Period. The players make their instruments do things that a precious few could or can do. KC, you should be glowing with city pride to have these prog champions in your borders. That said, my friends, be in the right headspace for Eudaimonia; wait until you are sufficiently lubricated to get sucked in, to get lost. Do not get in a hurry, enjoy it, and let it get under your skin, to take you away, as any good acid trip should.

Eudaimonia was recorded at Level Select Productions in Lee's Summit, and produced, mixed, and mastered by guitarist Brandon Bamesberger. It was engineered by the band: Phil Wolf, Zach Legler, Erich Thomas, and Brandon Bamesberger.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://dhoa.bandcamp.com/album/eudaimonia"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Eudaimonia by David Hasselhoff On Acid&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

--Danny R. Phillips

Danny R. Phillips has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph, MO music scene for well over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the nationally circulatedBLURT Magazineand his work has appeared in The Pitch, The Omaha Reader, Missouri Life, The Regular Joe, Skyscraper Magazine, Popshifter, Hybrid Magazine, the websites Vocals on Top and Tuning Fork TV, Perfect Sound Forever, The Fader, and many others.

Kansas City boasts a diverse music scene, ranging from its historic jazz foundation to its renowned symphony to rock bands finding national success. David Hasselhoff on Acid has added yet another dimension of versatility with an instrumental psychedelic rock sound that brings in elements of funk and metal. Let’s find out a little more about the four-piece group.

The Deli:Down and dirty: 1 sentence to describe your music. What is it?

David Hasselhoff on Acid: David Hasselhoff on Acid is a progressive, instrumental PB&J with extra spank and a side of deep space.

The Deli:Let’s talk about your upcoming album. What can we expect?

DHOA: Our new album Eudaimonia will be coming out in early May. We are about halfway through the process right now. The album will be 7 songs and feature guest appearances by R.L. Brooks from Maps for Travelers on trumpet and Bobby Bayer from Sundiver and Janet the Planet on saxophone. Expect a more powerful and focused Hoff... or as focused as a schizophrenic could ever hope to be.

The Deli:What other plans do you have for 2013?

DHOA: Our Kickstarter will be up soon. We are relying on the support of our community, not just our local community but the entire music community to help us get to SXSW. We are hoping to be on Middle of the Map fest in April, and will be promoting a CD release show sometime in May. Depending on fan support from Kickstarter, we hope to make it out to our friends in LA and hit a few shows on the way back. Besides that... look for us opening for more national touring acts that come through Kansas City.

The Deli:What does supporting local music mean to you?

DHOA: Going out to see shows. Giving those bands your money. Introducing new people to new music and artists in the area.

Supporting the local scene is important to us because the KC music scene is tight like family so when we go out to shows we are pretty much supporting friends and family.

The Deli:Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?

DHOA: Everything is not always as it seems. Question everything. Laugh as much as possible and see as much local music as you can. We rely on the community. Thank you for listening.

DHOA is:

Phil Wolf – guitar

Erich Thomas – bass

Zach Legler – drums

Brandon Bamesberger – guitar

You can see David Hasselhoff on Acid this Saturday, February 16, where they will be playing the fourth MidCoast Takeover fundraiser at The Brick. The group will be playing at 11:30, along with Rev Gusto, Cherokee Rock Rifle, and Not A Planet. Facebook event page here. David Hasselhoff on Acid was also one of over 40 KC artists selected to play the 2013 MidCoast Takeover showcase at SXSW from March 13-16 atShangri-Lain Austin, Texas.

The Deli Magazine was born in NYC's Attorney Street in 2004, in the shape of a print issue with a then unknown band on its cover, called Grizzly Bear. Ths NYC blog came in 2005, then the SF one in 2006, and then 9 more in the following years. The Deli is focused on the coverage of emerging bands and solo artists with a 100% local focus - no exceptions!